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Distinctives of a Biblical Church

Distinctives of a Biblical Church

By George Grant / King's Meadow

According to the Westminster Confession of Faith, the church has been entrusted with “the ministry, oracles, and ordinances of God, for the gathering and perfecting of the saints, in this life, to the end of the world.” According to the Four Articles of Prague, the church is to be “marked by an unfettered commitment to the primacy of the Holy Scriptures, the centrality of the sacramental means of grace in the worship of God, the integrity of pastoral ministry, and the practicality of discipling discipline in the Body.” Similarly, the Three Forms of Unity, The Augsburg Confession, and a host of other historical documents in the life of the church have distilled the Biblical calling of local congregations to these basics:

1. Word and Sacrament: worshiping God in Spirit and in Truth
2. Covenantal Discipleship: equipping the saints for the work of service
3. Pastoral Oversight: the care of souls in holiness, integrity, and accountability
4. Evangelistic Outreach: word and deed, love and vision, beauty and goodness

In order to faithfully carry out these stewardships wisely, the mission of the church has typically been organized in Reformed congregations around what Francis Schaeffer called Two Contents and Two Realities. Full story...

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distinctives-of-biblical-church.html

Posted by Editor at April 26, 2006 09:14 AM